TheNewsGuru

Tag: Lagos

  • Contravention: Lagos seals RCCG building, seven others

    The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA) has sealed a zonal headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God under construction in Ajegunle, a hotel in Ikeja and six other buildings for illegal development and breaking government seal.

    The RCCG parish, located on Old Ojo Road in Ajegunle, was accused of breaking government’s seal after a stop-work notice was served.

    Four other buildings on Old Ojo Road were sealed for the same offence.

    A shopping centre in Ajeromi was also sealed for erecting a third floor without approval.

    A plaza being erected in the Boundary area of the state and two buildings by the same developer on Chidi Street, Ajegunle, were sealed.

    De-Golden Guest Hotel in the Opebi area of Ikeja was closed as the government accused the developer of converting a residential building to a hotel without approval.

    No fewer than 11 persons working on the sites were arrested and arraigned at the state mobile court, which sat in Ebute-Meta on Saturday.

    The accused were granted bail, while the trials were adjourned till February 12, 2018.

    LASBCA General Manager, Olalekan Shodeinde, who led the government’s team on Saturday, said all the structures had been sealed, adding that their owners ignored government’s warnings and continue construction.

    “This year, we will come hard on defaulters who break our seals. Once a building contravenes the law, anybody found in it will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

  • Special Report: Lagos, commercially viable, hygienically weak

    …Two weeks after inauguration, Ambode’s sanitation officers yet to clean up Lagos

    With growth driven by vital reforms in state service taxation, transport services and tourism, Lagos state remains the economic hub of Nigeria twenty five years after it was replaced as the country’s official capital.

    This is why it was not surprising when Governor Akinwunmi Ambode presented the historic 2018 appropriation bill of N1,046 trillion to the state Assembly late last year. The budget had since been passed by the Assembly.

    However, despite these enviable feats, what has remained a recurring challenge to successive administrations in the state is the effective management and disposal of wastes.

    When Governor Ambode launched the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, CLI and new board of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) on Saturday, January 20, hopes were high that the state would once again return to its clean and hygienic status.

    Recall that the governor had earlier in July 2017 launched the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC). While the CLI aims to take over from the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) as the primary waste collector and disposal agency, LAGESC replaces the now defunct Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) who were hitherto saddled with the responsibilities of enforcing compliance to stipulated environmental rules and regulations.

    Ambode at the event represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the new waste management policy of government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was designed to holistically address the challenges in the sector.

    In his words: “Let me assure the people that in the coming weeks, there will be improvement. “We are already witnessing a high-level of improvement; we promise that throughout this week and throughout next week, people will see a marked improvement in our state as more equipment come into the country and we are able to deploy the equipment accordingly,” he said.

    In a similar vein, the General Manager of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Segun Adeniji in a recent interview said the state was undergoing certain environmental reforms aimed at sanitizing it.

    In his words: “Our waste management sector is currently undergoing a major reform. In March last year, a new bill was signed into law on the waste management sector, producing a single legislation that covers the entire environment sector in the state.

    “That same law has made LAWMA a regulatory body, as against the time when LAWMA was only carrying out 90 per cent operations and 10 per cent regulations.

    “From this year (2018) henceforth, all operations will be carried out by a competent body called Visionscape International, and the agency will handle all waste and refuse issues,” he said.

    However, close observation by TheNewsGuru.com revealed that publicity on the reformation of the environmental laws embarked upon by the state government especially as it relates to the change of statutory functions of LAWMA is poor.

    Findings by TheNewsGuru.com further revealed that residents are yet to know the functions of LAGESC while some still believes that LAWMA agents are responsible for picking up their wastes.

    More so, a tour of some popular cities within the state by the TheNewsGuru.com team during the week confirmed the unhygienic status of the roads and streets that are almost turning into usual dumping sites.

    Despite strong worded promises of visible changes in the state’s waste management policies in less than two weeks by the governor, investigations by the TheNewsGuru.com revealed that both LAGESC and operatives of Visionscape International were yet to make any remarkable impact in making the state clean, hygienic and safe for residents as heaps of refuse still adorn major roads, streets and houses.

    At virtually all the twenty local government and thirty seven local development council areas (LCDAs), heaps of refuse waste littered streets and roads. The stench oozing from the refuse dump was indicative of how long it’s been begging for attention.

    Some residents who couldn’t hide their disgust at the unhealthy developments across the state told the TheNewsGuru.com that the refuse dumps were already taking adverse effects on their health. Some even said they had to flee their homes when the stench was becoming unbearable.

    As part of holistic approach to managing waste in the state, the Lagos State Government recently placed a ban on the activities of truck pushers in the state. To an extent, this has further heightened indiscriminate waste disposal and management as residents now have no alternative means of disposing their waste in cases where Visionscape officials do not show up to time.

    Some residents who TheNewsGuru.com at Ikeja, Festac, Yaba and Ikotun said the poor waste management policies was becoming an issue of major concern because its health implication is dangerous. Some suggested that the Lagos State Government should relax the ban on the cart pushers to help cater for their wastes since the government has failed in that regard.

    “Its now a common sight to see dirt everywhere in Lagos. I’m not sure this LAWMA people are still in operation anymore. The government should act before something silly happens to the residents,” a trader at the Yaba market told TheNewsGuru.com

    A banker with one of the first generation bank said: “I hear LAWMA operatives are no longer in direct charge of picking up the dirt. That duty has now been assigned to another agency and LAWMA now supervises. However, I feel there should still be a sort of collaboration between LAWMA and the new agency to ensure effectiveness,” she said.

     

    While the TheNewsGuru.com found some plastic waste bins provided by Visionscape and displayed at strategic locations around the metropolis, majority of these were overfilled and yet to be disposed by its officials.

    In the past weeks, some local government chairmen were seen leading the campaign against indiscriminate waste disposal and also actively involved in the clearance. However, this barely had any effect as concentration was mainly on one out of several cases in their local governments. More So, close observation revealed that the dirt often resurfaces in just a matter of hours after clearance.

    However, the health hazards of these refuse heaps all around the state should be a concern to all and sundry. While the government should brace up in its responsibility of keeping the state clean and safe, the residents too should avoid dumping refuse indiscriminate.

    A medical doctor who spoke to TheNewsGuru.com on the impending dangers of the present environmental lapses in the state said: “We can’t avoid an outbreak of diseases if something drastic is not quickly done to clean up the dirt. Its not hygienic and anything that is not hygienic is dangerous to the health. I don’t want to scare people but we are not safe if this continue like this for a couple of weeks,” Dr. Chima said.

    Efforts by the TheNewsGuru.com to reach the General Manager of LAWMA, Mr. Segun Adeniji and the Executive Secretary of LAGESC, Mrs Idowu Mohammed for comments was unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

     

  • There’s hope for PDP in Lagos, says lawmaker

    A PDP Lagos State legislator, Mr Dipo Olorunrinu, says there is hope for the party in the state in 2019 if the leadership will work harder.

    Olorunrinu, the only PDP lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

     

    “There is hope for the PDP in Lagos State in the 2019 elections. When there is life, there is hope.

    “The fact that someone is doing something well does not mean somebody else cannot do it well.

    “When we see something good, we can applaud it, but that does not mean that somebody else cannot do it excellently,” the legislator representing Amuwo Odofin 1 said.

     

    The lawmaker said that PDP leadership would need to re-strategise, re-unite members and take the party to the grassroots to guarantee success.

    The lawmaker, however, lauded the state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of the APC for infrastructure development of the state excellently.

    “Everyone can see that the government has been working“Even a blind man knows that there is development in the state.

    “He has been consistent.

    “You can see rehabilitation of roads, expansion of lanes and creation of more roads,” he said.

    He urged Ambode to relate more with the opposition parties to further move the state forward.

    Sokoto lawmaker empowers 350 unemployed youths with N7m

  • Lagos releases N5.5bn to contractors for 181 inner roads

    …Project to be delivered within six months

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it has released the sum of N5.563billion to contractors to flag off the construction of the 181 roads spread across the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State.

    In a statement by the State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, the Government said the construction of the 181 council roads was in fulfillment of the promise by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to open up more inner roads across the State following the successful delivery of the 114 roads in September 2016.

    According to Akinsanya, the roads would be constructed in phases, noting that phase one will see the construction of one road each in the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs of which contractors have been mobilised to move to site immediately.

    The Commissioner said the sum of N5,563,697,382.00 released was 30 percent payment for the construction of the 57 roads while the total cost of the roads stands at N18,545,657,940.00.

    “The roads will be done in phases, already phase one has been released. This phase involves 57 roads cutting across the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

    To enhance immediately mobilization to site, 30 percent has been given to all the contractors upfront. This is in line with the magnanimity of Governor Ambode’s administration to ensure service delivery all year round,” Akinsanya said.

    He said due process was observed in awarding the contracts, adding that bids were opened on November 1, 2017 after which they were evaluated and considered.

    He said there are 57 contractors involved in the first phase of the construction with a mandate to deliver in six months.

    “Governor Ambode is totally committed to ensuring that Lagosians continue to enjoy good governance. There are many projects going on simultaneously across the State and the roads to be constructed will further open up the LGs and LCDAs for economic prosperity,” Akinsanya said.

    The Commissioner, however, urged residents to continue to pay their taxes promptly to enable the Government to meet up with its target to complete all ongoing projects in the State this year.

  • BREAKING: Ambode’s aide, Deji Tinubu is Dead

    Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Commerce and Industry, Mr, Deji Tinubu is dead.

    According to reports, Deji Tinubu who is also a first cousin of former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, reportedly slumped and died in Epe area of Lagos State,during a retreat for some of the newly appointed executives by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

    Recall that the deceased was formerly the Special Adviser Sports before he was redeployed to act in another capacity as Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Commerce and Industry.

    According to insider sources close to late Deji Tinubu, he slumped and was said to have been rushed to General Hospital, Epe where he was confirmed dead.

    Sources said Tinubu did not show any sign of sickness.

    Details soon

  • Crime: Lagos donates 30 power bikes to security agencies

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday donated 30 power bikes to some security agencies operating in the state.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said at the handing-over of the bikes at the Lagos House, Ikeja, that the gesture was in line with the government’s commitment to boost security and enhance safety of lives and property.

    He said the donation of the bikes was in fulfilment of his promise to prioritise the security of residents and ensure that no stone was left unturned to protect the people of the state.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, said security, being one of the tripods upon which his administration was built, would continue to be accorded its pride of place.

    The power bikes were funded by the Lagos State Lotteries Board and donated to the Police Command in the State.

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were also beneficiaries.

    Ambode said the power bikes would enhance the job of the security agencies of securing lives and property of residents.

    Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr Oye Hassan-Odukale, commended Gov. Ambode for the donation, saying it came barely two months after he promised to procure more bikes for security agencies.

    Hassan-Odukale said that the bikes would go a long way in preventing crimes, enhancing security and ensuring residents’ safety.

    He expressed optimism that the equipment would be put into good use.

    Hassan-Odukale called on corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to team up with the government to procure more equipment for security agencies in the overall interest of the people.

    Receiving the power bikes on behalf of security agencies, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, commended the State Government for the gesture.

    Edgal said the bikes would greatly help security personnel to pursue criminals, especially those operating in traffic.

    “Power bikes are essential for hot pursuits of criminals. Power bikes in line with the visibility clause in community policing also establishes police and other agencies’ visibilities on our streets and highways.

    “That is how important these power bikes are in fighting crime in Lagos and I want to assure the governor and the good people of Lagos that we will put the bikes to good use,’’ the police chief said.

    In their separate remarks, the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Olawale Musa; General Manager, LASEMA, Mr Adeshina Tiamiyu and the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command, ACP Olatunji Disu commended the state government’s initiative.

    They also expressed optimism that the bikes would help to prevent and to fight crime in emergency situations.

  • Fuel scarcity: NNPC releases 250 trucks to Lagos — Spokesman

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Sunday said that it had released 250 trucks of petrol to Lagos metropolis for effective dispensing at filling stations to forestall any scarcity.

    Mr Ndu Ughamadu, the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

    According to him, there has been a slight change in the distribution network in Lagos, as Lagos is currently being supplied by members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN).

    “At the weekend there was a hitch in discharging of petrol by ships which has been ratified.

    “Today, 250 trucks have been discharged to Lagos compared to less than 200 trucks usually allocated to Lagos at the weekend,” he said.

    The NNPC spokesman said that the ships which commenced discharging since Saturday night had finished discharging, adding that in a couple of hours the long queues will disappeared and normalcy will return to Lagos.

    Ughamadu, urged motorist to avoid hoarding of petrol and panic buying, as there is sufficient products in stock that will last for days.

    The NNPC spokesperson also acknowledged a slight hitch at the Port Harcourt refinery due to power problem.

    “Port Harcourt refinery is slightly down for now, pending when the problem will be rectified.

    A NAN correspondent who went round Lagos metropolis however reports that fuel queues had started springing up again in most filling stations in the metropolis.

    The queues which were noticed in the early hours of Saturday had begun to increase by afternoon across the state.

    Many of the filling stations operated by major marketers were not selling while outlets owned by Independent Marketers were shut.

    At Ikorodu, Epe, Mile 12 and Lekki axis most filling stations who had products were selling above the official pump price.

    Reacting to the situation Alhaji Abiodun Lawal spokesman of NIPCO said the company was consistently loading and supplying to marketers, but the volume had marginally dropped.

    “I can confirm we are currently loading but I don’t have the statistics; however I must say that we don’t have enough supply at the moment. I think that explains the resurgence of queue at filling stations”, he said.

    Also, Mr Olufemi Adewole, the Executive Secretary of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association, (DAPPMA) noted that there was shortage of petrol supply across the country.

    Adewole said that what is playing out at the moment is the preference of NNPC deploying more supply to the major marketers.

    “The truth is that there is short supply at the moment, if NNPC can raise supply we will be able to get to inland areas and focus on major cities, but I can tell you there is no much supply from NNPC,’’ he explained.

     

  • Dirt: Ambode inaugurates Environmental Sanitation Corps, vows to keep Lagos clean

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Saturday assured residents that waste deposited on major highways and streets around the state would no longer be visible in a couple of weeks.

    Ambode spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja after inaugurating the new board of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC).

    The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the new waste management policy of government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was designed to holistically address the challenges in the sector.

    He said that all hands were already on deck to confront the initial hitches with the transition period.

    “Let me assure the people that in the coming weeks, there will be improvement.

    “We are already witnessing a high-level of improvement; we promise that throughout this week and throughout next week, people will see a marked improvement in our state as more equipment come into the country and we are able to deploy the equipment accordingly,” he said.

    The governor said enough officials of LAGESC, transformed from the former Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), had been employed to police all nooks and crannies of the state to curb indiscriminate dumping of waste.

    According to him, the officials will also check other acts inimical to clean, hygienic and sustainable environment.

    “We are all living witnesses to the restructuring we are trying to do in the environmental sector.

    “That restructuring culminated in the introduction of CLI, which is focused at ensuring that the way we clean Lagos is comparable to what is being done in first class cities in the world.

    “As a result, we are changing the way the environment in Lagos is being managed, and to help us to achieve that, this Sanitation Corps is important.

    “More importantly now is to speak to the fact that yes, we are having some challenges in the area of waste management in Lagos today.

    “We all live in Lagos, but I want to reaffirm that we are doing everything to ensure that this becomes a thing of the past.

    “Beyond the fact that we are clearing waste, the CLI is also ensuring that we have landfill sites; not dumping sites but landfill sites, where the waste generated in Lagos can be recycled and re-engineered and also resold so that we can create wealth and a new business for Lagosians to tap into.”

    Ambode said that another key aspect of the initiative is that it would create jobs.

    “As we speak to you, we have employed over 8,500 new street sweepers that are being deployed across the state, and the target is 27,500.

    “So, every part of Lagos will have street sweepers that are unique to them and live in their neighborhood.

    “Once again, I want to reassure the people that we are on top of the issues here; we promise that you will see a marked improvement and we are totally committed to that.

    “God helping us, we will deliver one of the cleanest cities in the world,” the governor said.

    Ambode, however, said the support of residents was key to the success of the new initiative.

    He urged the people to team up with his administration to achieve the overall objective to deliver a clean, hygienic and sustainable environment.

     

  • Islamic cleric arrested with heart, private parts in Lagos

    Lagos State Police Command has arrested an acclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulfatai Kayode, with suspected human parts on Okedumola Street, Alakuko area of the state.

    Female private parts, a kidney, intestines, a heart, lap, among other human parts, were allegedly found in his apartment.

    Kayode was apprehended on Tuesday when the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, led operatives to the community.

    The suspect said the parts were given to him by a herbalist identified simply as Sadiq for safekeeping.

    He said, “Sadiq aka Ifa gave them to me. We intended to use them for money rituals for a client. A man brought the parts to Ifa too. I don’t know where the person lives. I have been an Alfa for 10 years, but I have never prepared any money ritual with human parts before. This is my first time.”

    Sadiq, who lives on Amje Igbeleyi Street, Alakuko, was not at home when the operatives visited his residence. It was learnt that Sadiq was arrested later in the day.

    Imohimi attributed the arrests to effective community policing.

    “The recovered human parts, which included female private parts, heart, kidney and lap, were stored in a container mixed with liquid substance,” he added.

  • N50m fraud: Lagos arraigns two suspects for cloning Ambode’s official line

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday commenced trial of two suspects arraigned for allegedly attempting to defraud the State Government of N50m by cloning the official line of the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The suspects – Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Oyewole were arraigned before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere on three-count charge bordering on the alleged crime.

    Specifically, they are standing trial for alleged possession of fraudulent document, impersonation and attempt to commit felony.

    While testifying before the court, the State’s Accountant General, Mrs Abimbola Shukurat Umar revealed how she received a text message from the suspects on February 10, 2016, purportedly from Governor Ambode, directing her to transfer the sum of N50m to a designated Keystone Bank account.

    Umar, who was led in evidence by the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adenijii Kazeem, said she found the message suspicious and highly irregular of the official accounting protocol.

    She said the text prompted her to bring the message to the attention of the Governor, who, after distancing himself from the message, ordered the immediate investigation of the matter.

    The investigation, which was conducted by the Department of State Security (DSS), led to the eventual arrest of the defendants, who were subsequently charged before the court.

    The prosecution also called Mr Wale Odu, Director of DSS, Lagos State Command, to give evidence in the matter.

    In his testimony, Odu confirmed that the investigation leading to the arrest of the defendants was conducted by his team.

    According to him, investigation revealed that the second defendant (Oyewole) is one of the directors and shareholders of a firm, Clayder Limited to whose Keystone Bank account, the N50m fraud money would have been paid.

    The matter was later adjourned to February 14, 2018 for continuation of the trial, while the defendants were to continue to be remanded at the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.